Net Servicos to expand footprint to 44 new cities next year

Brazilian cable services operator Net Servicos (Net) plans to expand its operational footprint to an additional 44 cities from January next year, investing at least BRL2.7 billion (USD1.29 billion) in the process. The group’s chief executive Jose Felix is quoted as saying that the rollout will take in a number of key cities, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco, Bahia, Maranhao and Para. Furthermore, Felix told journalists at a press conference that his firm intends to ramp up product synergies with its sister companies Embratel and Telecom Americas (Claro) – both of which are also part of the America Movil stable.

TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database writes that in August 2012 Net’s parent confirmed plans to invest up to USD1.5 billion this year to double the number of cities in which it operates. The cableco’s planned expansion was designed to extend coverage to at least 50 more cities, some of which include those where it already offers broadband and voice on networks installed by Embratel. At the time, the operator said that historically, the issue of a lack of requisite licences had slowed its expansion plans, but following the effective exit of the Globo group from the control of Net Servicos, this problem has been resolved.